The Gold Rush
by D-Money626
Summary: In an ordinary California mining town, people are mysteriously killed at night by an otherworldly spirit the Doctor & Rose intend to stop. This is the 8th episode of a different Series 4 & a part 1 of 2. "Just do me a favor & keep ur hands off my gold."
1. A Little Respect

The more Rose thought about it, the more it just made her angry. Ever since her return back to him the Doctor had become a wiz with playing with her feelings. She had begun to think that it really was all a game to him and that her declaration of love so long ago on that beach had meant nothing to him. Back then he had clearly heard her replying with the now infamous words, "Quite right too," and had acknowledged it remembering the moment twice since her return, but there was no admittance of what those words meant to him. Did they mean anything at all?

Rose was deep in the TARDIS presently in a console room that had once been operational. The coloring and textures were all different to her, but they all still felt the same. As she touched the walls Rose still felt at home in a completely alien surrounding. On her last adventure to the planet Sirius she had learned a very shocking truth about herself. Rose wasn't human anymore.

Oh, sure she was physically. She had one heart, was warm blooded, had a monthly menstrual cycle, and would be declared by any classification as human, but at the same time she wasn't. Earth had become alien to Rose just as much as Gilgamesh Five, and to make her point clear it must be noted that she had just made that name up. Home was on a blue police box called the TARDIS that traveled in time as well as space with a former Gailifreyen she was rather fond of. Everything Rose had been was thrown away for this combination that she was presently living. To everyone else she was an alien and a wanderer without a physical home just like the Doctor except Rose didn't lose hers in a war. She lost hers on her own decision making process. Rose actually had time to think about what she would do and who she'd become, but she was just so clouded with what might have been. Now, with the Doctor making her feel unwanted and unloved she was beginning to long for what life would be like if she had said 'no' to him when given a second chance.

What would life be like for her then? If she had kept her job with Torchwood how important might she have been. Rose never told the Doctor, but she had had a team of her own there and taken on somewhat of a supervisory role, but she'd never tell him that. The Doctor was in charge and when she was younger that was alright because Rose was well aware of her own youth and misplacement. Now, she wanted to be treated as an equal if she was just a companion. If the Doctor had the same feelings for her she could give in her ego for love, but without it she had to wonder what the point was.

The Doctor lied to her, he protected her, and lectured at her like she was still the same nineteen year old he had met, but times had changed and so had Rose. She didn't want to play games anymore with him because that's all it ever was. It was time to show him what she was worth even if it got a little messy. Yes, it was time Rose make a statement to that arrogant little twat and quite right she should too.

She put her thoughts behind her and put on a content grin as she left the room to return to the front of the ship. They would be landing soon…


	2. Miner Tales

As night fell on the mountainside a light sprinkling was happening from up above. Two burly men carrying full sacks trudged along happily with a pick axe on their shoulders.

The rain had literally just started halting their day full of work and by their attitudes you could tell they had had a very successful day indeed. As they came down the mountainside a large community of tents was on the horizon. Their temporary home.

The slightly skinnier, but shorter man sighed contently. "It's been a good day."

The larger one nodded with a smile. "I should say, be a hundred dollars worth."

"If they had said California was going to be this good I woulda been out here twenty years earlier."

"It's an actual gold mind, it is."

Having reached the tent community, the first thing they noticed was a Chinese man grilling something over a lit fire pit. The larger man tipped his hat. "Good evening to you, Chan"

"The Chinaman can't understand you, Fred. I don't know how many times I gotta tell you that."

"Haven't told me enough, I'd say."

The shorter man smirked slightly at his friends jab before approaching their tent. Fred went into it while he put down his axe and bag and began tending to the fire right beside it. Inside, he could hear the sound of metal falling to the ground while exclaiming, "Countin' your gold, are ya?"

"Must be a fortune! Oh, what I could buy with this beauty!"

The shorter man turned his head and grinned at his own little fortune. With his personal bag he could go to San Francisco and raise a family living rather comfortably for the rest of his life. The thought raised his spirits.

"I'm coming in Fred!" The shorter man spread out the leaves in the fire pit with a twig as the fire began to grow dimmer.

As he lifted the tents side holding his bag Fred suddenly warned him, "Stop!" Without hesitation he did so. "You almost walked right into the trap!"

The shorter man laughed. "Indeed. You almost stopped my heart right there." He took a look at it and smiled. All he could see was a pile of leaves, but he knew how deep the trap hole was underneath it. Sure, it was a crude contraption that a couple of miners who had very little schooling behind them had made, but it was effective enough should anyone attempt to steal their gold. The thought made him look behind him real quick warningly. Some varmints would stop at nothing. Still, they were safe as he moved around the trap to make it to his bed.

Each of the miners took of their shoes as they sat on their bed and ate a little bit from the bowl of beans left over from the morning.

They each loaded their guns and laid down peacefully. Their trap was set and their gold lay by their beds. Truth be told, they almost wanted to hug their bags like a newborn holds its blanket. Their gold was that valuable. It was time to rest before hitting the hills for just a little bit more tomorrow.

Several hours later in the dead of night a male scream reverberated from a nearby tent waking the two miners.

The shorter miner exclaimed, "What the hell is that?" The screaming died suddenly.

As if on cue both miners jumped out of their bed and looked toward their guns. The two miners figured there must be a thief on the loose, but they would be ready. The men looked at each other in anticipation and grabbed their guns, caulking, and pointing them at the tent's entrance.

At first it was a dead silence and the miners began to think that maybe it was just a false alarm coming from a neighbors bad dream, but then the leaves crunched right outside their tent.

The shorter man yelled threateningly, "Do not come any closer! We are armed and we will shoot if you choose to enter!"

Again the world fell silent and the miners stayed at the ready before an eerie voice reverberated around them. "Give me my gold or die."

Fred shouted fearfully, "Who said that? Who are you?"

Again it fell quiet as the wind blew the entrance to the tent wide open. The miners could see plainly what was outside. Only to their astonishment and fear nothing was there.

The voice again sounded, but with a malice this time. "Give me my gold or die!"

The shorter man decided that whoever this thief was, they had decided to play games with them and this was no time for games. It was time to go on the offensive. "I dare ya! Step into this tent and show yourself!"

The voice answered quickly this time as it announced, "Die."

The miners could not believe their eyes as they stared into one of the most menacing things any of them had ever seen. They fired their guns at it, but before they knew it a hand had grabbed each of them and they screamed quickly and sharply before falling to the floor dead.

A second later their bags of gold had vanished leaving a quiet and motionless tent with two dead bodies in it…


	3. The English Visitors

The Doctor and Rose walked down a mountain side in almost pitch blackness. Their only source of light to see where they were going were the bright stars and moon overhead. Only these weren't any ordinary mountains because they both could observe a sparkle coming from the rocks around them.

Rose asked, "Where are we?"

"California, 1849, right at the height of the Gold Rush. Beautiful time in history where people of all…"

Rose suddenly cut him off while looking closely at a boulder exclaiming, "Is that gold? Pure gold? It's beautiful!"

The Doctor commented, "And quite right too. It was solely the Gold Rush that made California a state of America two years later. America's young now, it's been about seventy years since they liberated themselves from Britain. Oh, Rose you'd…"

Did the Doctor just say 'quite right too?' Rose played those words in her head because ever since their conversation in the spa on Sirius, 'quite right too' was a very insulting word indeed. After all, upon the fateful day that came even before that both of them thought they'd never see each other again she had told him she loved him. What did he say? 'Quite right too,' and then she gave him a chance to complete whatever sentence he was going to say on Sirius. Once again he gave no answer and repeated that god awful phrase, 'quite right too.' She had honestly not listened to a word he had just said and probably for the first time in awhile she didn't care.

"Rose?"

"Huh?"

"I asked you if you wanted to wake the locals in that little camp right there in the middle of the night. A little boogie man action, perhaps?" The Doctor's eyebrows went up playfully at Rose as he looked down the hillside. At the bottom of the hill sure enough there was a small community of tents.

"Yea, whatever." Rose didn't sound very interested.

The Doctor made a gesture to offer her his hand, but quickly became shocked as she saw the gesture and began walking without it. For a minute he was actually dumbstruck as she called back, "C'mon now. What are you standing around for?" The Doctor honestly didn't know so he quickened his pace to catch up to Rose.

Over the next couple of seconds silence reigned as they walked side-by-side yet far apart until they approached the camp and were stopped by a completely iconically dressed miner.

The miner clearly regarded them skeptically. "Coming down awfully late and haven't seen you before. You just arrive?"

The Doctor knew this was a spot for some charm. "Yeah, we've been looking for a spot to set shop in so we could lay our claim to some of this gold. That alright?"

"You're English?"

The Doctor grinned thinking of a long lost joke. "Might as well be."

"Suppose it's okay, I mean people are coming from all over the world to get some of the gold in the hills of this here land. I came from the East. Born in the town of New Orleans in the great state of Louisiana. You two seem alright like I could trust you."

Rose added, "That's us. Veryyyy trustworthy." She looked over at the Doctor briefly scowling at him to which he again didn't understand.

"Alright, I'll let you in. What are your names?"

"I'm the Doctor and that's Rose."

The man pointed to himself "The name's Jimmy. Well, we have a couple doctors out here already, why you go calling yourself the Doctor then?"

He sighed. This again? "Because I don't go by any other name. It's just the Doctor."

"Can work with that. So Doctor and Rose, am I right?"

Rose replied, "Yup."

"Follow me so we can find you a suitable spot." The Doctor and Rose trailed Jimmy as he began to lead them while continuing to talk. "We have a great spot that just got vacated, actually. Be perfect for you, I reckon. Did you bring your own tent?"

The Doctor slapped himself on the forehead for show. "The tent? Of all the things to forget! What happened to that darn thing?"

"You mean you two have been out traveling these mountains with no tent and no shelter?" Jimmy's eyes went wide in shock before barreling into a laugh. "I misjudged you city slickers! But, no need for that now. Like I said, I trust ya and I'll let you stay in mine no charge."

Rose smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem! We'll have no problems at all as long as you keep your hands off my gold."

Rose laughed. "Oh, don't be preposterous!"

Jimmy's genuine mood quickly became serious after hearing Rose laugh. "This is not a laughing matter in the least bit. Truth be told that among us are thieves and this gold is very important to me. I plan on opening a shop in Sacramento for wagon supplies and such with what I find."

The Doctor apologized saying, "We're sorry."

"Man, you city slickers have no idea how rough and tumble it is out here. Like I said, I'll protect you, but you need to already start thinking about your own protection."

Before either of them could respond to that, Jimmy pointed at a tent nearby them. "Give me one second while I wake up the next watchman. I reckon my shift is just about over anyways."

Jimmy opened the tent and moved over to the man sleeping on some blankets gently shaking him. The sleeping man's first motion was to reach for his gun before stopping as Jimmy announced, "No need, Sam, it's me, your turn to watch."

"Alright, alright. Give me ten minutes, sir."

Jimmy left and closed the tent to leave him to his privacy. Sam was one of the few out here that he really trusted. With some of the watchmen he felt he had to stand outside and make sure they followed the schedule, but with Sam, Jimmy could leave and take these new residents to his tent with confidence. Once again he led the Doctor and Rose before stopping at another tent.

"This here is my tent and my son, Matt." Jimmy opened it revealing a sleeping younger man amongst his meager possessions. "Got some extra blankets and floor space for you in here, so you'll be alright." The Doctor and Rose's host went over to the sleeping gentlemen and gently shook him, "Matt, we're going to be having some guests from England over for the next couple of days."

Matt turned over on the bed only to be face to face with the new guests. Seeing the Doctor caused no response, but Rose's sight had caused him to jump out of bed suddenly and grab for his glasses.

Quickly the younger man threw his hand out and greeted Rose then the Doctor. "Name's Matt. Sorry, was just sleeping there. Rude of me."

Rose didn't want to admit it, but she had caught his sudden interest and she honestly enjoyed it probably more than she usually would. "Nah, not at all. I'm Rose and this is the Doctor. No need to get all gussied up for us. Middle of the night and all, it's understandable."

"Well beautiful woman such as yourself and here I am all.." Matt looked down at his disheveled and unprepared appearance.

Rose laughed. "Are you coming on to me?"

"Well, if your friend there don't mind."

The Doctor didn't trust Matt. It was either that or he was jealous, but he was incapable of being jealous. Time Lords don't get jealous of their human companions, so there was defiantly something wrong with Matt. "Hello, that friend's right here, thanks."

Matt put his hand up to his mouth ashamed. "Oh, my sincerest apologies, sir. I didn't know you two were married."

The Doctor spoke up. "We're not, but she's not that kind of woman."

Rose tried to stop her glee from being expressed. He was sounding like his previous self and this bloke was rather nice looking. Perhaps, another day and time she wouldn't be thinking like she was currently, but she was rather upset at the Doctor. "We're brother and sister and he's just protecting me. I can speak for myself, Doctor, unless you have something you want to say."

The Doctor only half smiled and muttered, "Just looking out for my sister."

Jimmy had been grinning through the exchange because he definitely saw through the facade that was happening. "So, can I offer you two some bread before you catch some sleep? You must be famished, what with the long journey you've obviously been on."

The Doctor replied, "Thank you, we'd appreciate it."

"Right, well my good buddy Mike should have a good loaf for ya. Matt please entertain them while I'm away."

Matt was beyond ready to 'entertain' thought the Doctor. "Now that pops gone let me get you a couple blankets and set you both up." Matt bent over to sort through a pile of blankets in which to grab a few. Rose coyly looked at him while he did so which the Doctor noticed.

The Time Lord turned to Rose, "Aren't you tired Rose? We should probably lie down for the night."

"Nah, I could stay up a little more, with Matt. Why don't you go to bed and I'll see you in the morning, yeah?"

Matt wasn't sure what to do when he raised his head carrying the blankets, so he remained silent as the brother and sister seemed to be locked into some type of staring contest. He thought that this contest seemed a little too intense or emotional for just a brother or sister, but who was he to judge what these English people were like. After all, he had never spent more than ten minutes with one in his life before.

Everybody's attention shifted when suddenly they heard running coming their way. The Doctor and Rose's clear displeasure at each other quickly turned to a glee as they made themselves out of the tent with Matt dropping the blankets back on the ground and following in curiosity.

The runner happened to be Jimmy who looked as if he had just seen a ghost. "It's… it's… it's our friends Larry and Mike. They're just lying there in their tent… dead!"


	4. Sudden Death

Jimmy stopped running when he reached a very intrigued Doctor and Rose with his son, Matt, also following. As he caught his breathe he added, "Doctor. There's been a death. I need some type of diagnosis."

The Doctor rubbed his hands together. "Brilliant, right on schedule!"

Jimmy or Matt were about to respond, but were beaten by Rose's extreme displeasure. "Right on schedule? Doctor, you knew this was going to happen?"

The Doctor answered her as if she had just asked what the weather was. "Well, I didn't know per say, just that it might have happened. I saw a strange signal and went to investigate. And behold there is!"

"Sometimes I just can't believe you. You know what? Go examine your dead body! I'm going to stay right here and not wander off, because that's what you want, isn't it? Yea?"

"But… Rose?"

Jimmy was beyond annoyed that these likely not brother and sister would be arguing at a time like this and really didn't want to wait for the outcome of it. "Doctor! Please come with me an leave your sister be! Besides a woman shouldn't be around no dead bodies."

Rose moved her arms like if she was shooing him. She was beyond sick of her companion at the moment. "Go already!"

The Doctor clearly knew that something was wrong now, but if his predictions were right, and they often were, something very evil was afoot and he shouldn't be wasting time with a domestic argument with his friend at the moment. "But… alright."

The Doctor left with Jimmy slightly unwillingly leaving Rose and Matt behind and alone. Nothing good could come of that. Thankfully, the tent containing the victims was close by because he could not under any circumstance be alone with his thoughts at the moment. The walk was quick and they had opened the tent seemingly only seconds later.

Jimmy was about to take a step forward before the Doctor held out his arm to block him. "Wait, I think I see a…" The Doctor picked up a nearby rock and threw it in front of him as the sounds of leaves rustled as they fell down a hole. "…trap."

Jimmy was shocked as much as he was impressed by the Doctor pretty much sensing that. It wasn't too dark to at least see where they were going, but it definitely was to notice a small detail such as that. "How did ya…"

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and shined it as a blue light at the now caved in hole. "Bet your glad you didn't fall in there. That's a clever little contraption though, if not crude. Anyways, onwards."

As they walked around the trap and towards the human bodies Jimmy was a little fascinated in the Doctor's tool. "What is that? It's shining like a candle."

The Doctor brightened up. His screwdriver was always something he liked to discuss or tell a story about. "Oh, it's my sonic screwdriver, gives light, very great with doors, and it's a new medical scanner back where I'm from… in England, nothing world changing."

"You Brits sure are smart I take it."

"I'm sure your government is working on that right now."

"Fat lot of good they is."

As the Doctor began scanning one of the dead miner's body with the screwdriver he laughed. "Some things never change, but as far as your friends go it's actually, really, pretty, ood. Sorry, odd. It's odd. No wounds. No scratches. I'm seeing that their heart just stopped, but no signs of congestion or blocked arteries. Sorry, just medical terminology from back home. Their heart just kind of suddenly stopped."

Instead of watching the Doctor, Jimmy's eyes were searching the tent for something. "That don't make sense…I heard they brought in a lot of gold today. I wonder where it is?"

The Doctor looked up at Jimmy. "Maybe this has something to do with the gold."

"What do you mean by that nonsense? Gold don't kill."

"True, it doesn't. Greed can though…"

"You're not making much sense, Doctor. Please explain."

"I'm thinking something might be protecting their gold, something who thinks they own it and might stop at nothing to get it back."

For Jimmy, the Doctor was starting to get into some weird types of topics. He could understand that technology might be better over in England because he had seen glimpses of magical things about to happen in America. After all these new magical trains were proof that the world was changing, but the Doctor had just said something clearly that could never make sense. "You said something instead of someone."

"Right, something because have you ever heard of a human just causing a heart to stop? No, they have to shoot or stab or poison to kill someone. Their has to be some type of evidence for that. Always something semi violent. But this… What could have possibly killed them?"

"Are you saying it's like a demon or something."

"Possibly, or just a glutton spirit of some sort. Either way we need to get back to Rose and your son. Who knows when this thing will strike next!"


	5. Change of Heart

Rose walked back into the tent upset over the Doctor's carelessness while Matt followed. She didn't want to talk about it and took a pouting seat, but Matt gently sat next to her looking her way. "I can understand that you're mad at your brother, but you got to understand that he's just looking out for you."

Rose sighed because he was right. "I know. Still…"

"You're pretty fascinating, Rose. When my dad came running and bringing trouble you got excited. I reckon that's different from most folks. Actually, dare I say it; I find that sort of refreshing."

Rose laughed. "Matt, you are definitely before your time." After just hearing that she had to remind herself that she was indeed in the 19th century.

"Everything about you screams adventure kind of like those Mark Twain books I be reading. Are the rest of the people in England like this?"

Rose laughed again, but this time to herself. He really had no idea, but listening to Matt talk in his country accent was sort of soothing and comforting. He was a nice guy that was considerably attracted to her, and she had to admit that it actually was pretty mutual. Still, he was rather ignorant. "I guess not. Me, I've always been a little different." Rose's eyes glazed away from Matt's staring at nothing in particular. "Never could sit still for long, but always have looked for everything in nothing. I used to just wake up, work, and then do it again the next day, but now it's different. You see, now I can be anything I want to be and really have meaning to it all."

Matt was really listening to her as she talked. For Rose she hadn't had that experience in awhile. The Doctor talked, but he never listened and Mickey, well, he was fun, but whenever she just wanted to talk it was always football with him. Come to think of it, with the Doctor it was always about an alien or some strange event even when they were in the bloody TARDIS away from it. Being listened to for once felt pretty good. Rose had no problems talking about those things, because she found them fascinating too, but she knew what she really wanted in her life was some form of mutual respect. Perhaps, Matt was just some man that wanted sex because let's face it, if she could go back to prehistoric times the same fact would be true too. Still, Rose felt open and respected by this man who held eyes for her and all of her insecurities she had held so deep with in for so long didn't seem like such a taboo anymore.

"So, who are you now?" It was a deeper question than what it sounded like.

She sighed. There was no way to say it. "I'm… I'm just lost. I don't know if you could have any idea how I'm felling, Matt."

"Rose, you are a fascinating woman. Something from a book I'd say in that fantastical world. I don't understand it, but you just might be the most wonderful woman I've ever met. I'd like to know something though, why is someone like you not married?"

Rose looked into Matt's eyes as he stared at hers. He wasn't like most guys, but she saw something in him that the Doctor had never shown her before. The Doctor was always a method of escape and when she was young she mistook that for passion. Matt's eyes showed her something that not even Mickey had. There was no judgment and there was absolutely no superiority on his part. This balance that she had never felt before felt right. It felt… "I just… I haven't met someone who appreciates me."

Matt scooted closer to her so that they were almost touching. Matt saw a beautiful thing in Rose and knew that timing for such a catch was everything. Still, he wasn't exactly the most suave of gentlemen. "In… in my culture we don't kiss before marriage, although some of us… we still do. Don't know how it is in yours, but… but I'd like to show ya how I feel… I mean, if that's ok with you, that is."

Rose didn't say anything. A thousand thoughts were in her head about how she was somehow betraying the Doctor if she kissed Matt, but her companion didn't want her in that way and had made that abundantly clear. He just wanted a limbo and in this moment in the middle of the night in the California hills during the time of the Gold Rush, it just felt like it was right to do what her head was now doing. No use fighting it anymore. Rose was already acting on her impulses before she could even think about their ramifications.

Her head inched closer to Matt startling him somewhat before he leaned in. The next minute they had locked lips and had begun to kiss each other. At first it was slow, but soon they both had brought there hands into each other's hair gently exploring. It was passionate and it was true, something neither of them had experienced in a long time, but it ended as quickly as it started.

Rose pulled away suddenly and regretfully. "I shouldn't have done that." Thoughts of the Doctor consumed her mental thoughts.

"Rose, I have never felt this way before you. I…"

"No, Matt, I really shouldn't of. I can't… not anymore."

"I'm sorry you feel this way, Rose. But, I don't. We… we could…"

A scream sounded from a nearby tent as Rose put her finger up to Matt's lips. "Hold that thought!"

Rose bolted up and Matt followed toward the tent right next to them that the scream had originated from. She threw open the material only to see an almost transparent whitish figure in front of them in the outline of man holding bags of gold. It looked at them scathingly as they both stayed still staring at it before the creature vanished completely from site.

For someone who had only read about the fearful things of the world, Matt did not run away after seeing the figure like Mickey might of before the Doctor. Nor, did he give a quick explanation like the Doctor. Instead, Matt did something Rose did not expect. He looked at her like she actually knew what was going on. Matt looked at her for guidance. "Was that a ghost?"

"It's not human, I can tell you that."

Matt was slightly offended from that. "I'm not stupid."

Rose laughed at how rude she had sounded. She just did to him exactly as the Doctor had always done to her. "Sorry, didn't mean it like that, but there's got to be some type of connection between these miners and the gold."

Their attention fell on the now stiff body before them laying on the ground. Matt again was at a loss. "What do you think we should do?"

Rose kneeled down and put two fingers on his arm to check whether the miner was still breathing. With a frown Rose turned to Matt, "He's dead, sorry." She next put her head against the man's chest. "Yep, no heartbeat."

Matt had never seen the previous actions done before, so he reacted much like his father had with the Doctor in the other tent. "How did you…"

Rose grinned impressively. "Little trick I learned from a good friend, Martha Jones. A wonderful person and doctor."

"That man was alive just five hours ago. Terry's his name. I… I had talked to him just before falling asleep tonight."

"I'm sorry. Were you close?"

"A little."

"Look I'll figure this out, Matt." Rose touched his hand comfortingly. "The Doctor and I… Nobody else is going to die in vain tonight."

"You act like you're a team with your brother."

A smile crept onto Rose's lips. "Yeah, I guess we are sort of."

"I say me and you are kind of a team too. You think?"

"Yeah, sort of." Matt noticed that she didn't sound as convinced and tried to hold back his disappointment.

"We're supposed to be back in the tent. Your brother may have returned with his diagnosis and might be able to help."

At first Rose was hesitant knowing that facing the Doctor right now after what had happened would be tough, but there really was a serious problem going on that was bigger than them. Bigger than any of the drama she had willingly set into motion. Rose would just have to be tough about it and not tell the Doctor. "Then what are we waiting for!"

Rose and Matt ran out of the tent back to Matt's camp only to open the tent up and see the Doctor and Jimmy in there looking at them with distasteful looks…


	6. Summoning the Spirit

As Rose and Matt opened the tent Jimmy stared back at his son with extreme distaste. "Where have you two been? We were worried sick about you after hearing that scream."

The Doctor was staring at Rose as well, but wordlessly with a completely different emotion; disappointment. Rose couldn't even look at him the way he was staring at her. It was like he already knew about the kiss she had just shared with Matt, but he couldn't. It had to be something else.

Still, Rose had to be strong because she was not going to discuss that under any circumstance and it was best to keep focus on the matter at hand. The only way she knew how to keep her resolve was through her Torchwood training from the other world, so she turned to Jimmy and spoke at him like she was giving a repot. "The scream was another miner, Terry, but we saw the culprit this time. It was kind of like a… a ghost would be the best way to put it, and Terry had died as a result as it looked at us and then vanished. Sort of… like a ghost."

Jimmy shook his head. "You talk like you're in the military."

Rose's description seemed to have had its effect on the right person as the Doctor was all enthusiasm and ideas again. "Interesting, given the bodies we just found had a sudden heart stoppage with no wounds or diseases or anything; just like some kind of, well yes… ghost would do."

Matt spoke up. "The ghost had stolen the gold. What would a ghost want with gold?"

Rose answered, "It's because it's not a ghost, Matt. Can't be because there's no such thing as ghosts. At least, I think there isn't. It's always something else."

"What would it be?"

The Doctor answered, "Alien."

Jimmy spoke up. "Aliens don't exist either! People from another world. That's that science fiction type stuff."

"Oh, no Jimmy there are definitely aliens about and something is attracting this creature to the gold of these hills because this incident is isolated. It's only right here, I've checked."

"You Londoners are nuts, I tell ya!"

Rose snapped, "Stop acting like you know everything! You have no idea!"

The Doctor asked, "Give me one test Jimmy because I have a theory. It's the gold that keeps attracting it, so is it ok if I use yours."

"What are you going to do with it?"

Matt yelled, "Dad, just give him a little piece already!"

Jimmy initially was shocked before deciding that his son did have a valid point. He was being a little pig headed because this Doctor seemed to have an idea about what he was doing. The miner reached into his bag and handed a piece to the Doctor. "There ya go."

The Doctor brought out his sonic and ran it over the piece of gold. "This should do the trick!"

The results were almost immediate as the air grew colder in the tent and everyone grabbed themselves in the effort of staying warm. A ghostly figure began to take shake amongst them in the room and they could clearly see it. It held the face and body of a miner dressed like any other miner around them, but it was transparent and it held a scowl on its face.

The figure chillingly asked, "What are you doing with my gold you varmint?"

The Doctor addressed it "I boosted the signal radiating from the gold and you showed up almost immediately. Who are you?"

The figure responded, "I am the General. I am the protector of the Golden Hills. Me and my family found this gold first and it is our claim and I will protect it forever."

Rose asked, "Where's your family?"

"Dead. As you all will be soon."

Jimmy warned. "It's not your gold anymore. I found it fair and square, so leave us alone!"

The General laughed at him in its own chilling and threatening voice. "Don't think that that will scare me. If you refuse to give me the gold back, I will kill you."

"It's my gold now and I need it!"

Matt had just seen how fast the other miner had seen his fate. "Dad! No! Give him the gold!"

The figure drew closer and Jimmy backed away while grabbing for his gun. He reached for it and began to fire at the General. The bullets went right through it before the ghost placed its hand on the man's chest.

Matt screamed as he powerlessly watched, "No!" Jimmy than fell like a log with his heart stopping instantly just like the others.

The General turned around and faced the three surviving members in the tent. "Will you give me the gold, or shall I kill all of you?"

The Doctor put his hands up still holding the small piece of gold. "You can have the gold, just spare our lives."

The figure laughed again. "I don't believe you. You will die, all of you." The figure drew closer to the Doctor and reaches its hand out as if to strike him on the chest as Rose and Matt looked on…


	7. Next Time Trailer

Next Time on Doctor Who...

The Doctor comments, "So the General thinks he owns these hills, does he?"

Rose and Matt grab a torch in the tent, light it in the blazing camp fire, and then walk out of the camp with the Doctor and into the mountains in the middle of the night.

A couple of rocks fall and hit the ground. Rose asks, "You hear that?"

The Doctor gazes at someone with the most frightening, but calm warning. "You're not telling me something."

The Doctor comments, "This gold shouldn't be here."

Rose suggested, "The General is after the gold, what if we, say, devise a trap!"

Rose scans the rocks with the sonic screwdriver as the rubble starts falling off.

A twig snaps as Matt questions. "Sound like a twig snap?" Rose nodded dreadfully. "Thought so."

"What in the world is that thing?" Matt stares at a mysterious, metallic, round object that seems rusted.

Rose challenges the Doctor angrily, "Why don't you keep running, Doctor?

Another twig snaps.

Matt and Rose kiss.

Matt quietly laughs. "False alarm?"

Matt suggests to Rose. "Leave him and stay with me. I'll treat you right."

Rose and Matt run from the ghostly figure of the General as he shouts, "Give me my gold!"

In unison Matt and Rose look at each other and scream, "Run!"

Matt shouts, "I think I'm going crazy here!"

Matt pants, saying, "I… I… can't… keep… up."

Matt announces while still panting, "I'm… not… going… to… make… it."

The Doctor screams, "Rose! No!"

Series 4 will continue with "The Haunted Hills" next week!


End file.
